January 13, 2011

City Council approves three interim aldermen

Two candidates running in next month’s city elections got a boost today when the City Council approved their interim appointments to the aldermanic seats they hope to win.

As a result, retired city supervisor Timothy Cullerton, 38th, and onetime Maywood Village Manager Jason Ervin, 28th, will run the rest of their campaigns as current office holders, a status that raises their profiles in the communities where they are courting voters.

Mayor Daley appointed them Wednesday, along with longtime community volunteer Shirley Newsome, 4th, who is not running for the seat.

All three will serve until May, when the winners of the upcoming city elections will take office. Cullerton replaces Thomas Allen, who left to become a judge. Ervin replaces Ed Smith, who retired. And Newsome replaces Toni Preckwinkle, the new Cook County Board president.

Cullerton, a city electrician who rose over 30 years to become first deputy building commissioner, comes from a storied political family that has controlled the ward for all but 32 of the past 139 years. That doesn’t include the 17-year tenure of Allen, whose sister had married into the family.

One of the eight other candidates in the 38th Ward decried Cullerton’s appointment, saying Cullerton wasn’t even present when the others who had applied for the interim appointment were interviewed by the mayor’s staff before Christmas. He also wasn’t there last Friday when each met briefly in succession with the mayor, said real estate broker Tom Caravette.

“I personally find it a kick in the teeth,” Caravette said of Cullerton’s appointment. “It doesn’t always have to be a family member that takes it.”

Cullerton, however, said he did met with the mayor’s staff and the mayor — at a different time than the rest of the candidates. “I might have had a scheduling conflict,” he said.

“I interviewed him, yes,” Daley said of Cullerton, adding that all were not lined up together to be interviewed. “Some were, some were not. Different times. When my schedule permitted, I interviewed people.”

Ervin is among five candidates in his West Side ward. He has been endorsed by Smith, who until his recent retirement was the longest serving African American alderman on the council.

A day earlier, Daley said his appointments did not amount to endorsements in the election.

“I looked at his commitment to public service,” Daley said of Cullerton. “Tim has been an excellent public employee. . . . It had nothing to do with their names. I could have closed my eyes, and have them walk in, and after presentations I would select them.”

All 50 aldermen on the Chicago City Council had to file paperwork earlier this year detailing their outside income and gifts. The Tribune took that ethics paperwork and posted the information here for you to see. You can search by ward number or alderman's last name.

The Cook County Assessor's office has put together lists of projected median property tax bills for all suburban towns and city neighborhoods. We've posted them for you to get a look at who's paying more and who's paying less.

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